Spatially tailored optical films, sometimes referred to as “STOF” films, are described in several commonly assigned but currently unpublished international and U.S. patent applications which are referenced at the end of the Detailed Description. In some cases, these films incorporate internal structural features that provide the film with an initial reflective characteristic. For example, the internal structural features may be one or more packets of microlayers that selectively reflect light by constructive or destructive interference, or the internal structural features may be polymer materials that are separated into distinct first and second phases in a blended layer to diffusely scatter light. The films also have an absorptive characteristic that allows them to be treated with radiant energy at any desired locations or zones within a useable area of the film, the radiant treatment causing the initial reflective characteristic to change to a different second reflective characteristic at the treated locations. The change occurs primarily because of a birefringence relaxation mechanism: the film absorbs an appropriate amount of the radiant energy because of the absorptive characteristic, the absorbed energy heats the film at localized positions, i.e., at the desired locations or zones, and the heat causes the birefringence of one or more constituent layers or materials of the film in such desired locations or zones to relax, e.g, to become less birefringent or to become isotropic. In exemplary cases, the radiant energy does not heat the film enough to substantially change or damage a structural integrity (e.g., layer structure or immiscible blend morphology) of the film in the treated zones.